(HealthNewsDigest.com) - FDA scientists are working on an unprecedented project. They're studying adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-cells that could eventually be used to repair, replace, restore or regenerate cells in the body, including those needed for heart and bone repair.

Seven labs at FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research are working in a consortium to fill in gaps in knowledge about how stem cells function. This research could ultimately be key to the advancement of personalized medicine, in which medical treatment is tailored to the needs of an individual patient.

"It's not science fiction," explains Steven R. Bauer, Ph.D., chief of the Cellular and Tissue Therapy Branch in FDA's Office of Cellular Tissue and Gene Therapies. "For me, regenerative medicine is the most exciting part of what we regulate in our office."